1. Field of the Invention
This application generally relates to mobile telephony, and, in at least one embodiment, to an application on a mobile device for connecting a telephone call using a number of different data and telephone network connection technologies.
2. Discussion of the Background
Mobile telephones recently have become significantly more common and provide increasingly advanced technology and functionality. These phones provide convenient communication for users around the world. However, mobile phones can have expensive and/or complicated billing plans for charging the users.
Many mobile telephone plans do not charge the caller extra for dialing locally or even anywhere inside the caller's country. Many users do not, however, have international calling activated or available on their mobile phone plans, and cannot make international phone calls from their phones. Even those mobile telephone users that do have international calling activated on their phones may incur expensive charges for each individual international or long distance telephone call.
Telephone calling cards may provide a convenient way for business, residential and mobile telephone users to charge the costs of telecommunications services separate from their phone service plans. Conventional voice calling card services may be used to reduce communication costs and manage call accounting records. As the landscape of telecommunications changes, retail pre-paid calling cards have become popular in some markets, especially for international calling. One reason for this popularity is due to significantly higher long distance calling rates for international calls when compared to national long distance calling rates for private subscriber accounts.
However, these cards typically require a user to call a phone number and then enter a separate calling card code number as well as the destination phone number. Upon validation of the calling card code number, a connection between the subscriber and the called party is established. Notably, they do not permit automatic dialing without the added delay and inconvenience of entering multiple sets of numbers. Accordingly, there is a desire for a method and system to permit easy, efficient and automatic long-distance or international calling, avoid the full cost of these calls, and provide flexibility in paying for the service.
In accordance with methods and systems consistent with the present invention, a method in a data processing system is provided for placing a telephone call, comprising receiving a destination phone number to call, determining what technologies are available for placing the call, determining a technology by which the user would like to place the call, and placing the call using the user-specified technology.